Two-year outcomes of radiofrequency device treatment of the nasal valve for nasal airway obstruction.

BACKGROUND

Temperature-controlled radiofrequency (TCRF) device treatment of nasal valve dysfunction (NVD) was superior to a sham procedure control in reducing the symptoms of nasal airway obstruction (NAO) in this randomised controlled trial (RCT).

METHODOLOGY

Two-year outcomes for 108 patients actively treated in a prospective, multicenter, patient-blinded RCT were used to determine treatment effect durability and changes in medication/nasal dilator usage. A responder was defined as ≥ 20 reduction in NOSE score or 1 reduction in severity class.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) age of patients was 48.5 (12.3) years; 66 (61.1%) women. Baseline NOSE score was 76.3. The 2-year responder rate was 90.4% and NOSE score treatment effect was -41.7; 54.7% improvement. Of 57 patients using medications/nasal dilators at baseline, 45 (78.9%) either stopped all use (33.3%) or stopped/decreased (45.6%) use in >=1 class at 2 years. Concurrent septal deviation, septal swell body, or turbinate enlargement did not significantly affect the odds of exhibiting a NOSE score of ≤ 25 at 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS

TCRF device treatment of NVD resulted in significant and sustained improvements in the symptoms of NAO at 2 years, accompanied by a substantial reduction in medication/nasal dilator use.